The Berry and Barton Family Home Page:Information about David Demarest

David Demarest (b. December 1620, d. October 16, 1695)

David Demarest (son of Jean De Marets and Marguerite De Herville)156, 157, 158, 159 was born December 1620 in Beauchamp, Picardy (Cambray ?), France, and died October 16, 1695 in New Milford, Bergen County, NJ.He married Marie Sohier on July 24, 1643 in Walloon Church, Middleburg, Walcheren Island, Zeeland, daughter of Francois Sohier and Margietta (Unknown).Notes for David Demarest:Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol Vp. 191-192 :David des Marets, b. about 1623, came from Middleburg, Holland, on the ship "Bontecou" in 1663, to New Amsterdam, with his wife Marie Sohier and four children; removed to Hackensack, N. J., 1680; d. 1693. Sons to grow up were Jean, David and Samuel. Rev. Dr. Demarest, President of Rutgers, descends from David; other N. J. Demarests have been descendants from Jean and Samuel. There was also a Jean de Marest from Beauchamp, Picardy, also a French Huguenot, who went to Holland, then to Mannheim, Germany, then, in April, 1663, came to America, and finally settled, in 1667, in Bergen Co. He also left N. J. descendants. (According to the Van Nuys Genealogy):David des Marest, born about 1623, married Marie Sohier in Middleburg, July 24, 1643, and they came to New Amsterdam in the ship Bontekou in 1663, and joined the French colony there. But in 1677 he purchased from the Indians about 4000 acres of land in Bergen County, New Jersey, on the Hackensack River, and the Carteret heirs perfected his title to it. His purpose was to found a French Colony, but settlers were few at first, and being surrounded by the Dutch, neither the French language nor the French church survived. However, the Demarest family thrived, and children of the three sons of David--Jean, David, Jr., and Samuel--occupied these lands. Source of the following: "Huguenot Settlers in North America and Europe" CD #600, FTMp 6: On October 22, 1685, Louis XIV signed the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, thus making the exercise of the Protestant religion unlawful. There followed one of the most violent persecutions in history, and fleeing from this persecution the Huguenots emigrated by tens of thousands into every country freeenough to give them a home. They carried with them the honor, prosperity and industrial energy of France, and every country which received them they helped to make rich and powerful. In the discoveryof New York and New Jersey the Huguenot was an active participant. The French Huguenot Abraham Chamberlayne made a large contribution to the funds that enabled Henry Hudson to make his voyagein 1609, when he explored the coast of New Jersey and sailed up the river which bears his name. Nine years later a trading post was established in the state, though it did not reach the dignity of asettlement.p 7: It was not until 1677 that Huguenot colonists effected a permanent settlement on the banks of the Hackensack, about two miles north of Hackensack and near the "French Burying Ground." The leader ofthis colony was David des Marest (de Marest, Demarest), who was born in 1620 at Beauchamp in Picardy, France, the son of Jean des Marest. He had been driven by persecution to seek refuge in Holland, where he married Marie Sohier, daughter of Francois Sohier of Niepe, in 1643. Later he went to Germany and in 1663 came to America, arriving at Nieu Amsterdam on the ship Bontekoe (spotted cow) and joined others in the Huguenot colony on Staten Island.In 1677 David Demarest purchased a tract of land in Tappan District, between the Hudson and Hackensack rivers, afterwards known as "The French Grant." He removed there with his family in 1678,accompanied by Jacques la Rue. Shortly afterwards there were fifteen families, including Nicholas de Voor (De Voe), Jean du Rij (Durie), Andries Tiebout, and Daniel Ribou. David Demarest is commemorated as the patriarch of this Colony. Fortyseven of his descendants served in the American Revolution, many of them officers.From "The Compendium of American Genealogy, Immigrant Ancestors", pp 769 - 770:"DEMAREST (des Marest) David (1620-93); son of Jean des Marest (b 1596); desc. of Baudouin, Seigneur des Marest, and also from his son, Baudouin des Marest, "who made over to the Abbey of Mount St. Andre in 1190 several heritages situated in the seigniory des Marest"), Huguenot, fled from France to the Province of Zeeland, Netherlands 1640, later to Mannheim, Germany; came with is wife and four children in the "Bonte Koe" to New Amsterdam, 1663; del from S.I. to the Gen. Assembly of New Netherlands, 1664; a founder of New Haarlem (now Harlem), and purchased land there, 1665; overseer, 1667-68, 1671-72; schepen, 1673, magistrate, 1678 - 75; bought several thousand acres from the Tappan Indians, 1677; founded the French Ch. at Kinderkameek; m. 1643 Marie (1623-80), dau. Francois Sohier, m. Marguerite de Herville."More About David Demarest and Marie Sohier:Marriage: July 24, 1643, Walloon Church, Middleburg, Walcheren Island, Zeeland.Children of David Demarest and Marie Sohier are: